The cat named L
by kitty of silver
Summary: How did it happen? L was turned into a cat! He was so close to solving the Kira case, and now this!  Mainly a back-and-forth style story, writte for a frend. Mild OOC. Please R&R!


A black cat slipped through the city streets, his eyes black, shadowy eyes darting left to right. His head was hung in a way, as if he was slouching, his tail dragged along the ground, and his eyelids drooped as if he was tired. _It'd be nice if someone would leave some sweets out for me..all I get is fish... He hissed and sat beside a trash can, frowning. As a car rushed by a wave of water came crashing over him, and his fur was drenched. Don't lose you're temper, just keep thinking positive..._ He stood up and continued walking, the bell on his collar jingling loudly the entire time.

A girl is sitting on the doorstep of a small bake shop, hugging her knees. She couldn't have been any older than nine years old, and the scent of hot deer meat drifted from a bowl near her feet. The bowl itself was large, filled to the top with the steaming, herb-scented meat. A few stray cats were clustered around the bowl, eyeing the black and white husky that sat by the girl, but eating their fill of the meat.

He glanced over as his stomach let out a short roar. He hesitated before padding over to the group of cats. _I wonder..._ He frowned and stepped closer to see what was in the bowl, and stepped backwards in dissapointment._ No sweets...oh well, food is food, right..?_ He sighed and made his way to an open spot and started to eat some meat from the bowl, his tags clicking together as he nipped off small bits of meat, trying to not upset the other cats and remain unnoticed._ But I need to find a place to live, and someone to help me become human again..._ He thought with determination.

The girl looks over as a new cat joins the little crowd around the bowl. Almost as if sensing the newcomer's dissapointment, she gets to her feet and runs inside the shop, then comes back out a few minutes later, a smaller bowl in her hand. She sits back in her spot, putting the bowl on the other side of the stairs from the mea bowl, then whispers, "Here kitty kitty... Come get some sweet stuff."

He raced over after inhaling the scent of candy. He immediately started scarfing down the food, purring the entire time. _Now this is better...much, much better...I like this girl, she's nice..._ He glanced up at her, stepping back after he was full. He dipped his head as if bowing. "Mrrowww!" He smiled, his eyes shining as he walked over to her, rubbing his cheek against her leg. _I can't believe I'm doing this...but this is what a cat does...then again, if I act like a human maybe..._ He smirked and stepped back, sitting down as he neatly wrapped his tail around his paws, staring up at her._ Now how...?_

The girl smiles softly, then reaches her hand out slowly to the kitty to rub the top of his head. "Such a strange kitty..." She pulls her hand back, hugging her knees again. She rests her chin on her knees, still smiling as the kitty rubs on her leg. Her eyes are hidden under the brim of a red fedora hat, but the weight of her gaze is heavier, sadder than it should be for a nine year old.

He frowned, realizing something was bothering the girl. He stood up on his hind paws and set his front paws on her leg, leaning his head forward to lick her cheek. He then sat back down and placed a paw on her hand, his gaze full of sympathy as he used his head to lightly push the brim of the hat up. _Let's give it a shot, just once..._ "Aaarrrrrrr oooooo kaaaa-eeee...?" He tilted his head to the side as he tried to speak, his ears perked._ I just hope I don't scare her...after all I would be rather startled if a cat talked to me..._

Her eyes are a startlingly bright red color, like freshly spilled blood. She quickly pulls the hat back down, hiding her eyes again, but her other hand comes up to rub on of his ears. "I'm fine, kitty... Just a normal day for me." To her, a talking cat was no stranger than if the dog beside her stood up and barked. She gently pulled the cat into her lap, still rubbing his ear. "Now, what kind of trouble did you get yourself into..."

He sighed heavily and batted at his tags. On them was a letter encarved with fancy writing; L. He frowned, hoping she had heard of the famous detective L. _If she has, I might have trouble convincing her that I am myself...after all no one has really seen what I truly look like...then again, why would a cat pretend to be me? _He chuckled a bit at his own thoughts.

She raises an eyebrow, tilting the tag so she could better see the L. Then her lips twitch up in a small smile. "There you are... We were wondering where you'd gotten off to..." The husky stands up, shaking himself before going into the sweetshop through a doggy door. The girl stands, grabbing the little bowl, and follows her dog, taking the cat inside

He relaxed a bit. _Finally, someone who understands..._ He closed his eyes, going limp in her arms as his maw stretched wide in a yawn._ I really need to sleep, but I can't. Not until I've finished my work._ He forced his eyes open as he looked around the house, raising a furry eyebrow. _I wonder why she brought me in here though...wait...she doesn't think I'm- oh boy..._ He sighed. _We'll just have to see..._ He let out a short meow, smiling warmly.

The whole bottom floor of the shop is made exclusively for making and selling candy, cake, and other sweets. A few people are milling about, paying no attention to the girl and cat as she scampers up a set of stairs. She closes the door behind her, then lays the sleepy cat on the closest soft chair. Then she crouches down, looking him in the eyes. "What happened to you, kitty L..."

He sighed and looked around until he saw a piece of paper. He bolted over and grabbed it along with a pencil and started drawing, holding the pencil in his mouth. At first he drew a picture of himself in human form walking into a house, then him in a room. In the next picture he was a cat. Under the pictures he wrote; "Kira" "Light Yagami." He stared up at her with wide eyes, his fur bristling slightly as he pointed at the words with his right paw.

She nods, scanning the drawings with a practiced eye. "Very nice drawings, by the way... And I assume you're trying to tell me that Light Yagami is, in fact, this Kira person who killed all those people?" She picks up the cat, then takes him to her bedroom. The walls are plastered with sketches of all of Kira's victims. "As you can see... We know."

His eyes widened in shock for a moment, but he immediately calmed down. He frowned a bit as an idea suddenly struck him. He wrote some more on the paper; "Do you know how he kills, yet?" He tilted his head, his eyes shone with pure curiosity. _The fact that they've gotten this far must mean they're close… It almost bothers me that they're solving it without me, but that's not the point. I need to solve the entire case, without knowing how he kills we still wouldn't have the right kind of evidence, so we can't prove it was him..._He sighed a bit, forcing away his thoughts.

She scowls at the page he wrote on, then grins. "Wait here" She darts into her closet, dropping to her knees and pulling out a small box labled "Private". She opens it, pulling out a small book, then closes the box and puts it away. She returns to sitting on the bed, holding up the notebook. "It's called a Death Note. I'm not sure how Light got one, but he did, and he's misusing it."

A chill shot down his spine. That was the same book he had almost picked up in Light's room. _That's how he's been killing...a book...? Is...that even possible...? _He tilted his head to the side, frowning as he raised an eyebrow and wrote again. "How does it work?" He stared up at her, sitting down as he set the pencil on the floor. He licked the front of his paw and ran it over his ear as he watched her.

She opens her mouth to speak, but out of blue, a tall male figure stands in the doorway, his electric blue hair pulled back in a ponytail. He grumbles something at the girl, who pales and looks at the kitty. The man dissapears, heading downstairs, and she leans closer to whisper, "Light is here." She stands and runs to put the notebook away, then comes back and picks up the L kitty.

His eyes widened. _Light's here! Finally...I can become human again..._ He smirked. _I can't wait to see his face..._ He narrowed his eyes to slits as his fur bristled with excitement. "L-...ets...dooo...th...iissssss..." He said, grinning wider as he fidgetted. He could see him now, shocked at him knowing...and then it struck him. _Will Light really be intimidated by a cat...?_

The girl rolls her eyes, then messes with his collar. She pulls off the tags, setting them on her desk, then ruffles his fur up a bit. "You have to act like a stray cat, or Light will never talk around you." She goes downstairs and peeks into the kitchen, yelling at one of the candymakers, before going to the front of the shop and sitting at a table. A few moments later, he sits across from her, smiling.

He smirked a bit and forced the normal innocent cat expression. He sat in her lap, staring at Light as he let out a meow, leaping off the her as he approached Light, staring up at him with wide normal cat eyes. _Hopefully he won't recognize my eyes...after all, not every cat has grey eyes..._ He thought worriedly, hiding it though. He sat down, wrapping his tail around his paws. _I wonder...will he just think I'm a stray...? I do still look a little like myself...I just hope he's stupid enough for now..._

Light sets down a small cup that smells of coffee, raising an eyebrow and looking across the table at her. She grins, saying, "He's a stray. Dawn liked him, so, what was I supposed to do?" The male chuckles, replying that he supposed not and lightly rubbing the cat behind his ears. The girl reaches over and grabs his coffee, taking a sip before returning it.

He purred a bit, but at the scent of coffee._ Oh...I haven't had coffee in so long..or tea...No, stop thinking about that. Be a cat, a normal cat._ He swallowed his pride and nuzzled against Light's leg. _Maybe I can get cat fur all over his pants..._ He snickered in his mind as he continued to purr._ A real cat wouldn't do this though, after all, animals are the best judges of character... _He forced himself to continue purring to muffle his laughter.

The same man from before wanders over, setting down a plate of sweets, a cup of coffee, and a cat-sized cup of tea. Then the blue-haired male walks away, and the girl picks up the cup of coffee, sipping it before putting the teacup on the floor for L kitty, along with a small cake square on a napkin. She and Light start chatting about something school-related, neither seeming to notice the cat fuzz on his pant legs.

He smiled and rushed over to the cup and cake. He started to scarf down the cake. He then turned to the tea cup, frowning a bit. He stood up on his hind paws, grabbing the napkin with sugar cubes on it and dragging it down onto the floor. He picked up a few and dropped them into the teacup and repeated the process until he had put fourteen in there and playfuly batted the spoon around the cup. _It'll look like I'm only goofing off while I'm really stirring it...I hope he doesn't think I'm me..._ He forced the thought away and started to lap up the tea.

Light is barely paying attention to the cat, only sparing a second to notice the sugar cubes dissapearing before returning the his conversation. He pulls out a black notebook, handing it over to the girl before leaning back and taking a sip of his coffee. The girl flips tthrough the notebook, her lips tugging into a frown. "Light, you know how I feel about you using this thing... I've had mine for years and only used it twice." The male shakes his head, sighing.

His eyes slowly widened as he stared up at Light. _She uses it too...but..._ He swallowed and turned away, moving his attention back to the tea._ But how did he turn me into a cat...assuming he did that is...but how could anyone turn me into a cat...? _He frowned, licking the last few drops out of the tea cup and sitting down._ Unless that Shinigami he was talking about changed me..yes, "L, did you know that Death Gods love apples?" Maybe he had it change me...by using apples as a bribe...?_ He frowned deeper.

With a sad, heavy sigh, she hands the book back, and he stores it in his bag. The girl glances down at L while he's distracted, hoping he wasn't looking at her with hatred or at Light with the intention of showing himself. She lifts her gaze as the human male turns to her, leaning in. She leans closer and turns her ear to him, listening as he whispers something, her eyes narrowing a bit.

He stretched a bit, letting out a short yawn. He sighed and layed down. _Might as well sleep, I don't want to be exhausted when I become human again..._ His thoughts trailed off as he curled up, drifting off to sleep. His sides rose and fell as he breathed softly. In his dream he was human again, squatting in a chair as he talked into a microphone, his voice disguised as it was aired all through Japan._ My favorite move...he fell for that so easily it was almost funny..._

Light makes a rather terrifying comment about L, then he stands. The girl rubs the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Don't do this, Light. You're my best friend, and I refuse to fight with you on this..." Without a word, Light grabs his bag and walks out of the store, leaving his coffee and the girl by themselves. She groans, folding her arms on the table and laying her head on her arms. "Men..."

He sat up, frowning. He took a few steps back and leaped up onto the table, leaning forward to rub his cheek against hers in a comforting manner. "What...wrong...?" He didn't really care that he was getting better at talking. He layed down beside her face infront of her, so he could look her in the eyes. He cocked his head to the side. "Be...honest..."

She looks up, then moves one hand to stroke behind his ear with her finger. "Light didn't turn you into a cat, L... I did. I did it to keep you safe from him, and now he's convinced you've given up... He said when he finds you..." She lets the words trail off, her expression darkened with sadness. She pulls L to her chest, nuzzling his fur. "I can't let him kill anymore..."

His eyes widened, but then narrowed. "If...it's a...challenge..he wants...it's a challenge he gets..." He smirked a bit. _If he thinks I've given up, he's got another thing coming...get me a phone. I'll operate like I did at first, out of view._ He stood up, stretching. "You're about to see how I do my job." He smiled warmly, his eyes shining as he flicked his tail once. "By the way..could I possible...erm..." He nodded at what was left of the cake.

She sighs, rubbing her eyes, then blinks at the cake. "Of course. And there's plenty more where it came from." She stands, stretching her hands over her head, then she pushes her chair in, putting him on the floor and picking up the teacup. She cleans the dishes from the table and carries them to the back, through an Employees Only door.

He frowned and glanced around the shop until his gaze landed on a phone. He ran over to it and leaped up onto the table near it, knocking it down onto the table. He then stood up on his hind paws and dialed a number. After it rang a few times someone finally picked up. "Matsuda, it's me, Ryuzaki..." He muttered into the phone. _"Really? You don't sound like yourself?" _"I've disguised my voice in case the line is tapped. I want you to send out a message on the television saying that I have been in hiding for the last few months for personal reasons, but I have not given up on the Kira case." He said firmly._ "Uh...okay, whatever you say. Why can't I just record you now?" _"Because I am in a public area, it would be too obvious. I'm sure they wouldn't know you weren't me if you use something to change your voice." After saying goodbye he hung up, sighing. _Now we can finally get somewhere… and I thought I couldn't do anything useful as a cat..._

The man with electric blue hair comes out of the back half of the store and looks at the cat with curious yellow eyes. Then he shrugs, putting his headphones over his ears, and sets about cleaning up the tables where people left their garbage. An older woman with black-and-gray hair goes to the front and flips the sign so it says Closed. Then both of the humans go into the back again, the door swinging slowly on its hinges.

He glanced around and heads up to her room, rushing over to a television. He pressed the on button just in time. The usual black "L" with a white background appeared, and the voice started. "Yes, I am still alive and well. I apologize for being gone for a short while, I had personal business to attend to. But now I am back on the Kira case, and I will not back down, no matter what. Kira, I will find you, and reveal you for who you truly are! I hope you accept my challenge, just like before." The message then ended and the tv went back to it's normal show.

The girl eventually comes upstairs, her short hair matted to her forehead. She collapses on her bed, groaning as her joints pop. "I dunno' what's worse... School, or baking for a crowd..." She rubs her face with both hands, then sits up and looks for L, pulling a small napkin-wrapped package from her pocket.

He leaped up onto the bed, sitting beside her, smiling warmly. He tilted his head as he prodded the napkin. "What is it?" He frowned, raising an eyebrow as he cocked his head to the side. He nuzzled his head against her arm, purring._ I might just get used to being a cat...it's not that bad...I wonder how Light will react this time...I know this will confuse him for a little while..._

She smiles tiredly, but warmly, as she unwraps the package. Four mini cake squares tumble onto the quilt covering her bed, and she folds the napkin up before throwing it away. She points at the two red squares with white hearts. "These are strawberry with vanilla filling." Then she points at the brown ones with darker brown designs. "Chocolate. Plain and simple."

His eyes lit up and he went for the strawberry first, eating it swiftly before eating the chocolate. "You should have seen the announcement broadcasted on tv a few moments ago...very interesting..." He muttered, licking the few crumbs that were left from around his mouth. He smirked a bit, looking down. _A bit of a brash move though...of course which only would confuse Light...perfect..._ He grinned widely.

She sighs. "I didn't have to see it. Light called the second he saw it, ranting about how he was going to get you." She rubs behind his ear, her chin propped up in her hand as she watches him eat the cake. Then she sighs, standing up and going into her closet. A minute later, she came back, having changed into a loose shirt and sweatpants, then sits on the floor, looking at the notebook in her hands. "Who would have thought..."

He frowned. "Is something bothering you?" He leaped off the bed and padded over to her, his tail waving as he stared up at her. "You don't have to worry about Light, I have a plan." He stood up and placed his paws against her arm, leaning forward so he could lick her cheek. _Though I doubt it's Light she's thinking about...and if it is I don't think it has anything to do with me, but either way I will do my best to comfort her._

She smiles at him, putting the notebook aside so she could pull him into her arms and hug him tight. "Despite everything Light has said, I think you're a very nice person, L..." She puts him in her lap, scratching his back lightly as she looks between him and her notebook. "So... What's your plan and how can I help?" Her free hand rests on her book. She'd promised never to use it... But Light had gone too far.

He sat down, his gaze going distant. "My plan is to mess with Light's mind. If he does something, says something, I will counter it with the exact opposite. For now, I will lash out at him, then I shall go silent once more. I know it will not convince him I have given up once again, but it will most likely confuse him. I will continue this pattern once more, and then go back to investigating him. I will do what I can to get a hold of his Death Note, and when I do, I will bring Kira to justice!" He exclaimed, his eyes blazing with determination.

She smiles at the determination in his voice, then frowns at the last bit. She looks at her own Death Note, then sighs. "Great plan, but you can't just take it from him. He has to give it to you, or you die. That's how Ayura explained it..." She holds up her notebook. "Just like you can only take this if I give it to you..."

"I see..." He whispered. "So he has to literally give me the book..." He smirked. "Let's say he dropped the book and I caught it, would that count?" He tilted his head, grinning wider. _But that loophole would be too obvious..._ He thought with a sigh. _There's no way it could work like that...is there..?_

She stares at the top of his head, suddenly deep in thought as she plays a scenario in her mind. "Maybe... Just maybe... It might work... But then Ryuk..." She sighs and shakes her head, revising and replaying it until she snaps her fingers. "I got it!" She hugs L. "Yer' a genius, you know, even as a cat."

He frowned. "Who is Ryuk, and what do you mean?" _I wish I could ask for her to change me back...but no, not yet. I must use this to my advantage... _He frowned a bit, bringing a paw up to his mouth as her thought. "Is Ryuk a god of death...?" _That would explain what Light said...yes...all of the puzzle pieces are slowly coming together..._He nodded slowly. "It all makes sense now..."

She blinks, realizing she'd spoken aloud, and she waves her hand dismissively. "Who Ryuk is shouldn't be important. It's what he can do if you steal Light's book that should matter. Now..." She trails off, looking at her doorway, where the guy with blue hair is standing, a scowl on his face.

He sighed, getting ready to speak. He stopped and turned to the boy, tilting his head to the side. "Rrrrreeeeoooowwww..." He licked the front of his paw and ran it over his ear, his eyes wide with the normal innocent expression of a cat. He stood up, his tail waving. _I've seen him quite frequently...who is this man..?_

He brushes his bangs aside, ignoring the cat, and points at the girl. He growls out something in Russian, then promptly turns away and walks into another room, slamming the door. The girl sighs, slouching where she sits. "That's Armand... No one knows where he came from, but he's scary, isn't he? Always popping out of nowhere..."

He frowned. "I wouldn't say scary...more like...intruiging...you don't think he has any connection to the Kira case..do you..?" He didn't turn to face her, his eyes glued to the door. _He was very suspicious...perhaps it has nothing to do with Kira but... _He sighed heavily_. I can't be suspicious of every person that acts strangely...he could just be one of those people that hates everyone...or maybe he doesn't like cats? No, even if that was the case he wouldn't act that way...does he possibly know who I am...? If so..how did he find out...?_

"He's something... But he means well..." She scratches behind L's ears, hoping to calm him down somewhat. "He knows more than people would think, and yes, he knows who you are. Chances are, he'd known since I made you a cat..." She shrugs, glancing at the door, then her notebook. "What if I told you I could get Light's Death Note for you..." She was musing aloud again, but part of her wondered what he'd say.

He smiled. 'I'd say I would owe you alot..." He glanced back at her, but didn't move his head. "I'm sure we aren't pulling each other's tails here," He paused for a brief chuckle at the pun. "And you can do that? Then if you can I would request you returning me to my human form immediately...I can still mess with Light...but as long as he doesn't know my name, I'm safe, correct?" He frowned, perking his ears. "And sorry if I'm rambling, I tend to over-think alot of things."

"It's perfectly normal to ramble. I think out loud, even in a crowded bakery." She picks him up under his front legs, lifting him so she can look him in the eye. Any hint of a smile, any scrap of playfulness is gone. "L, before I tell you any more, I need you to promise me something. As in, you will die before you break this promise." Her eyes narrow slightly as she stares him seriously, waiting.

His ears perked and he returned a serious gaze. "I will agree once I am told this promise...I am not the type to sign a contract before reading it..." _It could be something else..but when they start of like that it almost always has something to do with not risking my life..._He thought with a sigh_. I don't need anyone to keep me safe, and as soon as I joined the case I promised that I would risk my life, just as the other officers are._

"I will only get Light's notebook for you if you swear on you life that you will never speak to anyone about me and Light's friendship, nor can you tell anyone that it was me who gave him up." She cotinues to stare at him, not even blinking as she speaks.

He nodded. "I promise. I understand your reasoning as well. If word gets out about Kira- erm...Light, has been found out, then his followers will be enraged. So obviously anyone who had anything to do with it would be in danger...and also, I would not want to endanger your friendship with Light. He may be Kira...but he is a good friend." He smiled, his eyes shining. "Now, is there any way you can turn me ba-?"_ Wait...if I was turned back...would I have all of my clothes with me...I know that is a foolish thing to worry about, but I still have my pride..._ He swallowed. "I suspect I will be fully clothed when I am changed back, correct?" His gaze turned to the ground.

"Thank you, L." She kisses the top of his head, then puts him on the floor. She stands up and stretches, then looks down at him when he asks about his clothes, her cheeks turning pink. "Uhm... No... Hang right here for a second." She runs from the room and knocks on Armand's door, then goes in. Her Death Note lays on the floor, forgotten fot the moment.

He frowned, staring at the book. It was so tempting, to open it. To look inside. But something told him to stay away...why he had no idea, but it just didn't seem right. Instead, he examined the cover without going near, remembering how it looked. _This way, I'll be able to know what to expect when I see another one..._He thought with a grin, glancing around.

The notebook itself doesn't seem all that interesting. In fact, it looked like any black notebook, though there was a raised design on it that hadn't been on Light's. Something about it made it seem different from the other Death Note he'd seen, as if this one wasn't as evil. Then the girl returns, grinning and holding a loose t-shirt folded with a pair of jeans. "I understand you tend to avoid shoes and the like, yes?"

He turned to her and chuckled. "At this point would it be safe to assume you're a stalker?" He laughed. "Only joking of course. Now how does this work...I'm hoping you can do this with me in another room, or while you wear a blind fold, perhaps..?" He looked away, swallowing. If he had been human right then, his face would have been as red as a beet. _Hopefully this doesn't make her feel awkward...then again I feel just as awkward as she would..._ He frowned._ Alright, that's enough. Just trust that she can do this, after all, she did turn you into you're current form with ease._

"I only know so much about you because I pay attention to details." She lays the clothes on her bed, then picks up her notebook from the floor. "You just wait here until you're human again. It's very much like being turned into a cat, just reversed. Then you get dressed and we'll take it from there, 'kay?" She grabs a pen off her desk, then sits on the floor on the other side of the room. She pulls aside some of her Kira's victims drawings to reveal what looks like a scribble on the wall.

He frowned deeper, staring at the scribble. _What on earth...? Some sort of..no...well...maybe..._ His frown faded and his face returned to a blank expression. _Just calm yourself, everything will be fine._ He sat down, staring at his paws as he sheathed and unsheathed them, swallowing. _At least I'll be able to think properly…_ He sighed.

She murmurs something, opening her Death Note so it lay in her lap. She uncaps the pen, then scratches on the wall with it, tracing the scribbles already there. A low hum seems to fill the room, and the door suddenly slams shut, locking itself. The window curtains also close themselves, the overhead light going out and leaving the room dark as night.

His eyes stretched wide in shock at what was going on as a chill shot up his spine. _Even though this is good...it's almost...frightening..._ He thought, glancing around. He was able to see perfectly, even though it was dark. His gaze moved back to his paws. His fur bristled as he remembered how he had been changed._ Now all there is left is the bright flash of light, and then I'll be human again... _He thought, the edges of his lips twitching upward.

With the bright flash of light he'd been thinking of, L went from cat to human in the blink of an eye. As soon as the flash fades, the light flickers back on. The hum dies away, and the window curtains slide open, the door unlocking itself but not opening. The girl is curled up in the corner, as if she'd been flung there, her face buried in her hands. Her Death Note lay on the floor, still open to a page filled with names and scribbles crossing them out.

He frowned, and after he put the clothes on, he walked over to her. He squatted beside her, lightly placing his hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright...?" He muttered, his coal black eyes glued on her._ I'm finally human again, now things can start getting interesting..._ He forced away a smile, his eyes filled with concern as he stared at her.

She peeks at him through her fingers, her blood red eyes filled with tears. Her voice is hollow as she speaks. "I couldn't kill him... I'm so sorry... I couldn't kill my best friend..." She buries her face in her arms and breathes in broken sobs. Every time she used any kind of power she had, it always took a toll on her. The window behind L slides open, letting in the soft breeze that rustles the sheets of her drawings and flips pages in her notebook.

His eyes widened. "What do you mean...? I never said you had to kill him..." He shook his head and hesitates before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into an awkward hug. "If there is anything that I do that you disagree with, please tell me..." He pulled away, holding her shoulders so she had to look him in the eye. "If we're going to work together we have to trust each other."

She nods, slowly pulling herself together. She wipes her eyes on her sleeve, sniffling a bit. "I'm sorry you had to see that..." She gives him a shaky smile, before she slowly stands up and walks over to her notebook, picking it up and closing it. "And L... I do trust you, crazy at it seems." She turns around to look at him, her smile more sure this time. "I wouldn't ave saved you if I didn't."

He smiled. "And I still owe you for that too.." He watched her. "So, do you think this will make Armand more suspicious of me...? It usualy takes a while for someone to trust me because of how I look." He shrugged a bit, starting to chew on his thumb nail. _Something about him seemed off to me..oh well, now I am free to confront him if I wish. No, save that for later..now I need to worry about Light...he seems enraged...so I need to put another message out as soon as possible..._

"Most likely, at least until he realizes you're the kitty I brought home. Then he'll go on ignoring you... Would you like some tea or coffee?" She asks the last part while heading for the door, her notebook tucked lovingly under her arm. She had noticed the look on L's face, and hoped that he wasn't planning on confronting the Russian boy who lived with her...

"Tea..." He stood up and walked over to the window, staring out it. _It is rather shocking Light could continue to fool me for so long...was it all a game, a lie? Yes, that is most likely the case..then that means... _His eyes widened. _He was only using me to manipulate the police, to clear his name! But more importantly...is he using her...?_ He glanced back at her._ Perhaps...or maybe for once Light is being truthful?...No, he lied to his own father, his mother, his sister...if he did that there's no way he'd be truthful with friends...unless... _He sighed, chewing on his nail again. _Was he thinking that getting rid of criminals would make up for that? That something could honestly excuse lying to his own blood like that...! _He shook his head. _No..he would have to be mentally ill...maybe in denial..? Okay, that's enough thinking like that for now. Calm down._ He chuckled a bit, shaking his head.

She fills the teapot with water and sits it on the stove to heat. She leans against the counter and opens her notebook, staring at it with a distant gaze. Over and over again, she saw herself writing one name down, then scratching it out before it took effect. Light was her best friend, but she knew that it had to end now. She sighed, closing the book and hugging it tight to her chest. "Oh, Light... When did Kira take over... Where did the real you go..."

He frowned deeply. He exhaled deeply, closing his eyes before turning and heading into the kitchen. She shouldn't be alone. "Everything alright...?" He stared at her, his expression was completely blank. _She isn't alright...it's obvious she's having trouble. I better tell her what she wants to hear for now._ He sighed. "I think Light and Kira are two different people, figuratively anyway. Two opposite personalities...I believe the day he found the book-er...Death Note, something happened. He must have partialy lost himself to insanity..power can do the strangest things to people..." He shrugged a bit, as if talking casualy. "But, unfortunately, this does not make up for any of the murders."

She looked up as L walked in. Despite the pain visible in her eyes, nothing else about her showed her inner turmoil. "I know... Sometimes, one has to wonder, though..." She puts her book on the counter, taking the pot off the stove as it starts to whistle and putting it on a potholder. She reaches into a cupboard, pulling out two mugs and sitting them by the pot. "Milk's in the fridge, and sugar container's in the cabinet beside it. Could you get them for me please?" She crouches down, opening a cabinet and pulling out teabags.

He nodded and took the milk out of the fridge, setting it on the counter. He then opened the cabinet and took out the sugar, setting it beside the milk. "By the way...I'm afraid I never caught your name." He turned to her, frowning slightly. "Then again I suppose it's only fair, since I will not be sharing mine." He shrugged. _Of course I can't...I haven't said my name in a long time..._ He closed his eyes. "But for both of our sakes, just call me Ryuzaki."

She smiles, holding out a box of assorted tea bags. "Pick one for your tea. And you can call me Julienna, or Julie for short." She pours the hot water into each mug, then puts one of the mugs in front of him. That done, she pulled the coffee maker closer and sets about making enough coffee for one, using the rest of the hot water from the tea. "Yes, Julie is my real name, but no one calls me by my real name. I'm known as "Red" or "That creepy girl that hangs with Light"."

He picked up a tea bag and dropped it into his mug. "Well then, Julie, it's a pleasure to meet you." He frowned. "Do you know when Light is going to come here again...?" His gaze turned to her, but once again he didn't move an inch. _I'll need a place to hide...Light will be expecting me to still be at the hotel...and if he finds me here he won't hesitate to kill me..._ He stared at the wall. _He probably already knows I know he's Kira...but, he doesn't know my name... _He smiled. _And I thought my life was in danger..._

"He'll probably be back tomorrow to apologize. It's what he's always done. We fight, he leaves, he comes back to apologize, repeat." She shrugs. The cycle of her friendship with Light was as natural as the rising and setting of the sun. Not even the birth of Kira had changed that, though he lost his temper much quicker... The thought saddened her. She plucked a teabag from the box and puts in in her mug, watching the water darken. "...If you don't want him to see you, then I suggest you stay here for a bit. Ryuk flies around this place a lot."

"Yes...I figured just as much..." He muttered, once his tea was done he took a handful of sugar cubes and dropped them in. "You must not mention me being here, even if he asks. Please." He frowned as he walked over her. "And I ask one more thing of you..." He smiled and gently set a hand on her shoulder. "Be strong..."

She lifted her gaze from the mug, a weak smile on her lips. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm not _that_ crazy." She poured the now-ready coffee into another mug, then slipped away from L to deliver the mug to Armand's room. Something about the detective seemed to set Light on edge, but he seemed so kind, if a bit strange… _Maybe it won't be so bad after all._


End file.
